


Not A Stray

by camichats



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cat Roach (The Witcher), Cats, F/M, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25790392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: Geralt thinks that Roach has run off or is dead, but actually she got picked up by his well-meaning neighbor.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Renfri | Shrike
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Not A Stray

Roach had been missing for a week. Geralt checked all her usual haunts when she sneaked out, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. He'd pretty much resigned himself to her either running off for brighter pastures or getting killed by a car-- or a bigger cat, because god knew that she liked to pick fights (one of the many reasons he'd kept her inside as much as he could). Roach the Third, may she rest in peace. Not that Geralt really thought she was dead, but if she'd been out for a week and not come back, it meant that she wasn't going to. Geralt was starting to wonder if he should go to the shelter and find Roach the Fourth, or if he wanted a little time by himself. Well, he amended, time where it was just him and Jaskier, instead of him and Roach ignoring Jaskier together. 

He was heading back to their apartment after work, glancing up when he heard one of their neighbors say, "Oh no you don't," as she scooped up a cat. A very familiar looking cat. 

Roach yowled pitifully but didn't actually try to escape her arms. 

"Roach?" Geralt said, and the cat licked its nose. 

"No? It's a cat?" 

Geralt blinked then looked up at the person holding her. Renfri... something. He was pretty sure her name was Renfri. "Her name is Roach." 

"Oh she's your cat? I thought she was awfully affectionate for a stray. She didn't have a tag or anything, so I didn't report her." Renfri didn't make a move to either toss Roach back in her apartment or hand her over. 

"She shreds collars. I'm sure you've noticed." 

Renfri snorted. "Yeah." She looked down at Roach. "I guess you want her back." 

"Yes." Then, because Jaskier had been lecturing him on social niceties and Renfri had taken care of Roach, he added, "Please." 

Renfri leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then walked over and held her out. Geralt scooped her up with one arm, and Roach dug her claws into his shirt to make sure she wouldn't fall. "Can I ask why the name?" 

Geralt shrugged with the shoulder not supporting Roach. "Named after the first cat I had. Caught her eating cockroaches in an alley." 

"And you brought her home after that?" Renfri asked, amused. 

Geralt shrugged again. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Also because he'd had a pest problem at that apartment, and if his new cat wanted to eat bugs, she might as well help him out while doing it. 

"Well have fun with that," she said, and they exchanged nods before going back to their apartments. 

* * *

A few days after getting Roach back, there was a bag on their doorstep with cans of wet cat food. 

_Bought these when we had Roach and she seemed to like them. Our other cat hates them though, so we can't use them. -Renfri_

This, at least, explained why Roach looked at her normal, cheap, dry food then screamed at him like she was the queen of the world and he was a lowly peasant. Geralt wasn't sure how smart it would be to feed her these if she was just going to learn to expect it, but he might as well use these; they were free. 

* * *

Geralt heard scratching on the door and looked at Roach. She was still sitting on the couch beside him, napping. Who the fuck was scratching on the front door? The nails weren't heavy enough for it to be a dog, which was the pet most people in this building had. He opened the door a sliver and caught sight of a sleek Siamese cat. He sneaked a hand out and managed to pick it up under its belly before it could make a run for it. 

The cat twisted in his hands, looking at him with betrayed bright blue eyes. "I'm not too fond you either, buddy," he said. He stepped out and shut the door before Roach could get any ideas. It did mean that he was now standing in the hallway without any shoes on, but he was hoping that it was someone on this floor. He could feel a tag jingling against his wrist, but when he tried to read it, he got scratched on the arm. He'd had worse, but it was enough to draw blood; he hadn't really planned on this today. He sighed and readjusted the cat to make it more comfortable. He'd try the people on this floor, and if he couldn't find the owner, he'd try looking at the tag again. 

No one was home at the first door, and the second one was Renfri's. She mentioned that they had another cat, right? 

Renfri opened the door and immediately said, "Oh thank god." That was the kind of thing Geralt liked to hear. Well, right now, at least. "Missy, you're a little bitch," she said primly to the cat. 

Geralt snorted, gratefully passing over the cat when Renfri stuck her hands under the cat-- Missy, apparently. Either that or Missy was a deviation of 'Miss'. 

"Thanks for returning her." 

"Didn't want to end up with another Roach situation." 

"That was an accident. And Missy has a collar. Did she scratch you?" 

"Yeah." 

"Sorry," Renfri said, mouth turning down. "I've got some disinfectant, come on." She tilted her head towards the inside of her apartment in invitation. 

Geralt could remind her that he had a cat too and therefore had his own bandages and shit, but she already knew that and was inviting him in anyways. "Thanks," he said, following her in. After he closed the door, Renfri dropped Missy-- who immediately ran to her water bowl and face-planted. After getting her face all wet, she leaned back and wiped at her face with one paw. Geralt had never been happier to have Roach. 

Renfri made a face at her. "She's my roommate's cat." 

"I guessed as much." 

"How's Roach doing?" 

"Spoiled rotten on that cat food you left." 

Renfri snickered. "Sorry. But also not sorry. When Missy has wet cat food, she steps in it and tracks it all over the place. It only took Yennefer a month to realize that?" 

"I hope she was cleaning up after her." 

"You'd think, wouldn't you," Renfri said flatly. 

"You need a better roommate." 

"Yeah. From what I've heard, you do too. We should just switch." 

"I feel like Jaskier might kill her. Or get killed by her." 

"I would say those are two equally likely scenarios." Renfri had a smirk on her face like she wouldn't mind either of them happening. Geralt understood the feeling. "But in the interest of not being arrested for assisted murder, maybe we should get out of the house more." 

That sounded... suggestive. "Like dates. Dates would get us out more often." 

"Exactly. How do you feel about pasta?" 

Loved it. Pasta was the single best food to exist, Geralt was sure. He could make large portions of it and eat enough to fill his stomach without being judged. If he sat down with a big bowl of pasta, people didn't say anything. If he did it with other foods, people made comments or asked if he _really_ thought he could eat all of it. But answering her question like that would be weird, so he said, "It's good." 

"You know who's got great pasta?" Renfri asked. 

"Marco's," they said at the same time. 

She grinned. "Tonight good for you? Or did you have plans?" 

"Jaskier's at a party. I have to be available to pick him up. Tomorrow?" 

"Tomorrow's good." 


End file.
